Kimi Raikkonen has played down any sadness ahead of his final race with Ferrari this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
The 2007 world champion will head to Sauber next season to make way for Charles Leclerc, ending his second stint with the Italian team after re-joining in 2014.
Admittedly, however, it is the fact Kimi has left Maranello once before that means this time there’s little reason to be upset.
“I have practice from leaving them once already, so it’s not a new thing,” Raikkonen said in Thursday’s press conference.
“I’m not sad because I don’t see why we’d need to be sad. Well still see a lot of each other in the paddock, so not an awful lot changes.
“I’m going for a new thing and that’s exciting.”
Last month, the 39-year-old in many ways capped off his time at Ferrari with a victory in Austin and does still expect to remain close.
“Obviously I had good times with the team, with great people but we also had some difficult times too but that’s part of the business, how it goes sometimes…it can be a little bit hard,” Kimi continued.
“I’ve won the championship with them as a driver, also we’ve won twice as a team. I was very happy to be a part of it and we had some great times too.
“We’ll happily go different ways and not too far from each other. We’ll keep doing what we’re doing and it will be good.”
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There is a little piece of business for Raikkonen to attend to at Yas Marina with a three-way battle for third in the Drivers’ Championship between himself, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen.
“I don’t think it’s changing my world,” he shrugged.
“I’ve heard that if I get that third place I’ll have to go and get that prize giving wherever it is, that’s the negative thing, more travelling. If it comes to it, so be it.”
